as in to trigger
to cause to function
his obscene comment touched off a heated debate about the need for censorship on live broadcasts
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Examples of touch off in a Sentence
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Recent Examples on the Web
The Venice Film Festival drew to a close this evening with its glamorous awards gala, and though the feeling on the ground was that the 21-title-strong main competition was a touch off the pace of recent years, still the festival is looking pretty good for an 81-year-old.
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Jessica Kiang, Variety, 7 Sep. 2024
Proposals to move production to South Carolina touched off a political battle in Washington, D.C., as New Mexico senators fought to retain a foothold for Los Alamos in the multibillion-dollar program.
—Morgan Lee The Associated Press, arkansasonline.com, 5 Oct. 2024
The Thompsons’ decision touched off an upward trajectory in their lives, said Ron Dong, 87, who grew up in the house with his parents and three siblings.
—Lynda Lin Grigsby, NBC News, 17 Sep. 2024
To go along with the climbing, there’s weight training and cardio equipment, slacklines, a sauna, and a second, rooftop rockwall touched off by a fire pit and views of the Manhattan skyline.
—Seamus Webster, Fortune, 4 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for touch off 
Jessica Kiang, Variety, 7 Sep. 2024
Proposals to move production to South Carolina touched off a political battle in Washington, D.C., as New Mexico senators fought to retain a foothold for Los Alamos in the multibillion-dollar program.
—Morgan Lee The Associated Press, arkansasonline.com, 5 Oct. 2024
The Thompsons’ decision touched off an upward trajectory in their lives, said Ron Dong, 87, who grew up in the house with his parents and three siblings.
—Lynda Lin Grigsby, NBC News, 17 Sep. 2024
To go along with the climbing, there’s weight training and cardio equipment, slacklines, a sauna, and a second, rooftop rockwall touched off by a fire pit and views of the Manhattan skyline.
—Seamus Webster, Fortune, 4 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for touch off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for touch off
Verb
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Earlier on Wednesday, the union representing the department’s rank-and-file officers, whose complaints to county officials triggered the report, asserted that their recent public criticism of Corpus only had to do with her job performance.Ryan Macasero, The Mercury News, 13 Nov. 2024
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First, Earth's gravitational pull is expected to trigger tremors across the asteroid beginning about an hour before its closest approach.Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
Verb
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Follow our affiliate links above to activate the Caesars Sportsbook promo code NEWSWK1000.Tim van Straten, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024
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Stretching When the stress response is activated, your muscles tense up as a reflex to protect against pain or injury.Noma Nazish, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024
Verb
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Timely Cold Fronts Cold fronts spark deer movement.Josh Honeycutt, Outdoor Life, 24 Oct. 2024
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That sparked debate about whether attempts to curb China’s technological advancements have been effective.AFP, Fortune Asia, 24 Oct. 2024
Verb
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In 2021, Gonzalez-Nunez allegedly drove a car in a sideshow while his girlfriend hung out of the window with an miniature AK-47.Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, 7 Nov. 2024
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Micaela Hanning, Crean Lutheran: The transfer from Calvary Chapel is an explosive point guard who can strike from the perimeter and drive to the basket.Dan Albano, Orange County Register, 7 Nov. 2024
Verb
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Fortunately for the rest of us, Brunn set off on his own to start a new spice company—and created Old Bay.Popular Science Staff, Popular Science, 23 Oct. 2024
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Hezbollah meanwhile fired more rockets into Israel, including two that set off air raid sirens in Tel Aviv before being intercepted.Mohammed Zaatari and Kareem Chehayeb, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2024
Verb
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That application, a cathode-ray-tube powered 3×4 inches box, was comparatively quaint compared to the massive desktop-sized screens in some modern vehicles.Mack DeGeurin, Popular Science, 13 Nov. 2024
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Sitemap About Quartz Advisor Accessibility Privacy Terms of Use Advertising Jobs Reprints & Permissions More from our network Market Data powered by QuoteMedia.Quartz, Quartz, 9 Nov. 2024
Verb
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If the company does not adhere to the agreement, the U.S. Attorney’s Office can move forward with the case.Jason Green, The Mercury News, 15 Nov. 2024
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According to the article, published in 2016, Lo moved into the New York Edition hotel, in the Gramercy area, then racked up a $13,000 tab and refused to leave for nearly two months.Suzanne Seggerman, Curbed, 14 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near touch off
Cite this Entry
“Touch off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/touch%20off. Accessed 19 Nov. 2024.
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